KSK Construction Group – 570 Broome

KSK Construction Group soars to new heights with the construction of a new luxury condominium project in New York City.

By Janice Hoppe-Spiers, Senior Editor for Knighthouse Media

KSK Construction Group is managing the construction of a 25-story luxury condominium project in New York City where competition is fierce and project logistics are complex. The company confidently takes on complex projects and soars to new heights by relying on its management team’s extensive experience in real estate development for a wide spectrum of clients.

“Three partners with years of experience in heavy construction started KSK Construction Group in the early 2000s, starting with small development projects in Brooklyn,” Project Manager Ali Cuhruk says. “Over time they built up the business, increased the scale and right now we have five major building projects in Manhattan and five in Brooklyn and Queens. We only function in New York and the partners are still hands-on, overseeing every project.”

Cuhruk worked in heavy construction for 15 years before coming to KSK Construction Group more than five years ago. He believes the company has more experience and know-how at its management level because of the team’s years spent in heavy construction. “Those kinds of large scale infrastructure projects bring you a better vision of the construction business and you acquire better skills to handle complex operations and are better organized,” he adds.

Rather than operating as a facilitator between the owner, architect and subcontractors, KSK Construction prides itself on developing solutions and recommendations to any problem. “The value engineering we provide our clients is second-to-none,” Cuhruk says. “When our partners get drawings, they review them and can foresee the construction process, which is how they make recommendations to save the client time and money.”

In addition to value engineering, KSK Construction Group offers a range of services to help ensure a construction project runs smoothly, safely, on budget and on schedule. The company has completed more than 50 major construction projects in New York City in the residential, commercial and hospitality sectors.

570 Broome

Located in Manhattan’s Hudson Square, 570 Broome is a collection of 54 contemporary one- to three-bedroom residences that draw inspiration from the history and style of West SoHo. The 25-story residential tower will be the tallest building KSK Construction Group has ever built.

“570 Broome will be the most luxurious and tallest building we have built,” Cuhruk notes. “I was in heavy construction for years and most of the structures I built were either underground or were not visible to the public, but now everyone can see what I’m doing. It’s coming up beautifully and I’m proud that something I’m building will be seen and be a wonderful living space for so many people.”

Each residence will feature grand ceiling heights of nearly 11 feet and expanses of glass curtain walls will give the units an airy feel. The building will have the finest finishes as KSK Construction Group is sourcing material from all around the world.

“We are importing marble from Turkey and Greece, porcelain panels for the façade of the building is coming from Spain and we are getting the curtain walls from Poland,” Cuhruk says. “It’s a big supply chain, but we are getting the best-quality materials for this building and having it installed by the skillful tradesmen that we have worked with for a long time on many projects.”

Designed by Tahir Demircioglu, 570 Broome façade will feature Neolith paneling – which is made to look like natural stone – that is coated with a titanium dioxide nanoparticle-based treatment called Pureti. These materials will allow the building façade to clean the air. Located next to the Holland Tunnel – the gateway between New York City and New Jersey – the environmentally conscious feature is perfectly located on 570 Broome.

Complex Site

KSK Construction Group began construction on 570 Broome in late 2015. Historic townhomes are located right at the property line of the new condo building and the company discovered the structures were weaker than expected. “My boss got involved with designing support systems for the adjacent structures, which included putting them on bracket piles, to support them while we completed our foundation work,” Cuhruk says. “That’s just one example of how we develop creative solutions.”

After completing the foundation work, KSK Construction Group says the project sped up in summer 2016 and completed the foundation work early last year. “Being located right next to the Holland Tunnel entrance and about 150 feet from the New York City Subway, it’s logistically difficult because there’s one way in and one way out,” Cuhruk notes. “When we were pouring concrete we had to have the trucks lined up on Varick Street and back into the site one at a time, pour and exit. It’s a tight area with heavy traffic so we have to very well coordinate any material and equipment deliveries on site.”

In March 2017, KSK Construction started work on the superstructure and topped off the building at the end of last year. Today, the company is closing the exterior envelope of 570 Broome. After Hurricane Sandy, new regulations require all mechanical equipment to be placed at roof level to prevent damage to major mechanical equipment during a similar incident. “So, we have to bring in cranes with extended booms up to 450 feet to lift the mechanical equipment up to the top of the building from the side streets and place them on steel structures at the roof level,” Cuhruk explains. “That brings another challenge, requiring special permits for full street closures to erect such high capacity mobile cranes in the middle of New York City at a very busy area.”

KSK Construction Group expects to be completed with construction by the end of the year for occupancy in the first half of 2019. “Despite all the challenges and struggles, the final product will make us all proud,” Cuhruk says. “This is the tallest project for KSK although I’m sure taller ones are to come, which shows the company is growing and continues to complete more challenging projects.”